Rise , though you rise against the heavens…

1st Fist

Prevailer’s most notorious Fist, and the only one that has been with her from the start, is the infamous First Fist. Nicknames are too numerous to list here, but the general timbre is the ‘Fucking’ Fist, or ‘Crushing Fist’. These names speak to First Fist’s bullying and oppressing nature. This is the Fist which Prevailer uses in order to destroy those incapable of fighting back.

The First Fist are closely aligned with Subtracter, and alongside her form the de facto ‘hawkish’ wing of Prevailer’s inner circle. They are a restless, brawling bunch, ever hungry for opportunities to strike at Her many enemies.

First Fist’s operations are about evenly divided between military strikes, which they conduct against Union forces along the Regime’s northern border, and terror strikes, which they wage against civilian centers anywhere in the world. Even their military strikes tend to cause excessive collateral damage. Whenever possible they draw their Ultra foes into the midst of unpowered masses, reveling in the death and mayhem which the struggle will provoke.

This is the oldest Fist, the prototype of those which followed after. Most of its members, most obviously Remover and Averter, were part of Her entourage long before the Fist system came into being. It was, in fact, Remover’s example and advice which prompted Prevailer to turn upon the American government and overthrow it, although most scholars believe that that was an inevitable outcome in any case.

Averter : Phillip Matthews

Averter is First Fist’s tenuous anchor. Relentlessly pragmatic and sane he strives to reign in the extravagant hungers that the rest of the team exhibits. He has the ability to kill any form’s velocity, or at least the portion of it which drives it towards him. This power operates at range with his conscious effort, and closer to hand reflexively.

In battle Averter primarily serves the Fist by protecting himself, thereby tethering their immortality. He occasionally stops enemies in order to allow one of his fellows to get a strike in, but that is rare. If the Fist is taking a battle unusually seriously Averter may allow Remover or Alerter within his gift’s protective embrace.

Averter is unremarkable in appearance. Dark hair, dark eyes. He has a penchant for old world sunglasses, and generally apes the appearance of the American Secret Service.

Alerter : August Meyers

Alerter is one of the most vicious and sadistic members of a team already known for those qualities. Alerter is the fraternal twin of Blinder of Sixth Fist, and is very nearly the opposite of her twin. Ruled by a monumental insecurity complex, Alerter takes her rage and frustration out on the world.

Alerter’s gifts allow her the same broad absorption and control abilities that her sister has. However her gift is oriented towards sound rather than sight. She can hear everything that happens within a large range around her, several miles at least, and possesses at least a limited ability to control what others hear. Consequently Alerter provides a vast intelligence gathering ability to the First Fist. She is also a front line combatant, unable to die unless the battlefield falls silent.

Alerter is short, and typically wears camouflage clothing, changed to resemble the areas that the group are preparing to do battle in. Her hair is long on top, shaved on the sides, and she has a distinct lazy eye. All details of her appearance fall away, however, and what stays with those unlucky enough to encounter her is an impression of fevered, frenzied strength.

Attacker : Doa Hideo

Doa is a refugee of the Ultra gangs that would ultimately make up the Pantheon, a late addition to First Fist. She is probably the lowest in their particular pecking order. She takes this out on those who fall into her clutches. Attacker and Alerter are widely thought to be a couple.

Attacker’s powers resemble those of a video game protagonist. Damage done to her doesn’t injure her form, depleting instead an undetectable store of vitality. When this vitality runs dry Attacker becomes as mortal as any human. She is able to recharge or expand this power, however, by actions of spectacular ultra violence. The energy that she gains, her ‘score’ can also be expended to purchase other Ultra abilities, extra lives or conjure various accessories.

First Fist typically allows her to roam and strike at will during their battles. Attacker requires a difficulty curve to strike at her full potential, gaining power from weak foes and using it to overcome stronger enemies, thereby making still more profit. When First Fist anticipates a difficult struggle they will often bring along victims for Attacker to power up on before the genuine battle commences.

Pursuer: Grep Hasp

Pursuer is the notorious dogman of First Fist. A nightmarish figure to the Fist’s enemies, Pursuer is the gold standard of the front line Ultra. He is believed to have Ultra strength and toughness at three. It is also possible that he has other, less obvious, gifts. Some evidence suggests that he can sense fear, or track opponents in a manner that would move beyond what would ordinarily be possible.

Pursuer’s daunting powerset is frustratingly inconsistent, however. He has definitely been seen to display these powers. At other times he seems to lack them, or only have them to lesser degrees. A wide variety of theories have been floated to explain this, the most popular being that Pursuer feeds on fear, and grows weak in its absence.

Pursuer is the Fist’s wrecking ball, leading the way in every battle. His deformities make his identity obvious to every foe, and those who confront him in battle do so at immense peril. Pursuer’s depravities are infamous, he is a monster, a cannibal and a torturer. Nothing is beyond the pale for this beast.

Remover: Karen Austin

What more can be said of Remover? The woman who toppled the old world. The woman who turned Prevailer away from her old loyalties. If the world today is a crime scene, then Remover is Peggy Martin’s bloody hand.

Remover generates slow moving neon green energy streams. Any form touched by these forms is eaten away, ceasing to exist, dwindling away and vanishing. Any form, without exception. Mithras, confident in his invulnerability, lost his hand to this gift. The skyscrapers of the old world fell, their bases cut away by this power.

In battle Remover sends these streams towards her foes. What they lack in swiftness they make up in quantity. Those who confront First Fist must avoid, at peril of obliteration, these deadly green bands.

Outside of combat, Remover is First Fist’s absolute master. The ageless horror musters and directs the remainder of her Fist, glutting their appetites and slaking their monstrous thirst for atrocity. As for her own passions? No one knows, but her monumental and ever mounting death toll renders all such questions moot. Mankind may not survive Remover.

Thanks Asdy. Dunno why I gave First Fist 3 “A” names. It didn’t start that way. I changed Averter’s Ultra name without considering how often it would make me mess up when talking about them as a unit.

By the by, the sudden description of First Fist shouldn’t be taken to mean that they are showing up for the happenings in Laredo. Rather, I’m just bothered by uncompleted patterns, and having 5 out of 6 of the Fists described was gnawing at me.